May 2008 - Posts

Recently, I read this and have been thinking about it ever since. The article describes "problem evolution"--the notion that problems evolve over time to evade a manager's attempts to solve them. This explains why a new manager quickly solves "intractable" Read More...

My oldest son has become an avid reader, bringing back my own memories of reading Way Down Cellar , The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet , and The Phantom of Walkaway Hill . So, when he asked me one day why I don't read--as in novels--my answer Read More...

My old boss used to say, "Any delay is too long." He was talking about programming iterate functions on a computer, but it's true for many things. We all hate to wait. But what are we waiting for? In a healthcare system, the speed of information is crucial Read More...

Imagine in the near future, a job applicant asking, "What is your culture here?" Your first thought is Duh, it's a laboratory . But with the pressures on healthcare, you may already be hearing plenty of talk about your organization's "culture." Even if Read More...

Becoming a manager means changing your peer relationships. Instead of competing with another work silo, you now need their cooperation. It is essential to transition from the subordinate-supervisor relationship to this new peer setting to complete projects Read More...